performance vs. resale

Even if it's obscure, if it has a proven track record and is highly rated (as you say) don't worry that you're the only audiophool who knows about it. It may not sell fast, but it will go. My Audion Sterling integrated took awhile, but some lucky audiophool is grooving right now. And Sterling is not one of those ubiquitous brands. So that's a no as far as the resale factor goes. Sound is always my main concern.

I'd NEVER buy anything I couldn't resell for close to what I paid for it within 30 days.

I tend to lean toward Pawlowski6132's sentiments, although I haven't always followed the advice.

Several times in my own enthusiasm I have overestimated the demand of a component only to later take a significant loss.

I try very hard to limit these experiences. The sonics are rarely worth the fiscal penalty.

For me? The wonderful sonics are worth the fiscal penalty. If you buy used: $$ hardship usually won't be a problem.

Buying used keeps the ratio reasonable. I tend to buy and hold, so it's not a big issue to me, so my equipment is a mix of new and used.

To the extent that you're uncertain about a component you should lean toward buying used. It's not unusual for high-end components to lose 50% of their value once used, no matter how vaunted the marque.

Dave